Is …poor… broadband… slowing…you …down?

A new report by the British Infrastructure group of MPs, of which Andrew Mitchell is a cofounder and support, has found as many as 8460 of Royal Sutton Coldfield constituents should be compensated at least £25 for receiving broadband speeds of less than 10 megabits – the proposed minimum download speed. Further to this Ofcom has released a more thorough compensation plan to target internet service providers who fail to achieve basic standards.

The ad hoc basis to which only a minority of those suffering receive adequate compensation is an injustice that need not be. Moving forward the aim must be to eliminate broadband providers from profiteering off of a poor service.

Andrew Mitchell and 55 colleagues therefore have called on the government, Ofcom and broadband providers to urgently improve the quality of broadband customer services through a series of key recommendations.

The MP wants to progress secondary legislation setting out the terms of a broadband Universal Service Obligation; improve data collection; consider fixed broadband speeds in a new automatic compensation scheme and make sure companies take responsibility for letting consumers know about their complaints procedure.

Andrew Mitchell said “The Conservative Party manifesto has clearly laid out that we want every premises to have access to super-fast broadband by 2020. Whilst an ambitious aim it is certainly achievable. I am disappointed to see so many of my constituents having to tussle with slow broadband providers despite the quality service they pay for. I will continue to press for a better service for up to 8,460 of my constituents who are receiving a less than satisfactory service”